Yoruba cuisine is the numerous and diverse foods of the Yoruba people of

Yorubaland Yorubaland () is the homeland and cultural region of the Yoruba people in West Africa. It spans the modern-day countries of Nigeria, Togo and Benin, and covers a total land area of . Of this land area, 106,016 km2 (74.6%) lies within Niger ...

(Yoruba native regions of West Africa). Some notable Yoruba food includes Ọ̀fadà, Àsáró, Mọ́í Mọ́í, Ẹ̀gúsí soup, Àbùlà,

Àkàrà ''Akara'' (; , ) is a type of fritter made from cowpeas or beans (black-eyed peas) by the Yoruba people of Nigeria, Benin and Togo. It is also known as Bean cake. It is found throughout West African, Caribbean, and Brazilian cuisines. The dish is ...

, Ilá Alásèpọ̀, and Ẹ̀fọ́ rírò with Òkèlè. Egusi soup with pounded yam and assorted meats

Yoruba food general list

Some Yoruba dishes: * 1.

Akara ''Akara'' (; , ) is a type of fritter made from cowpeas or beans (black-eyed peas) by the Yoruba people of Nigeria, Benin and Togo. It is also known as Bean cake. It is found throughout West African, Caribbean, and Brazilian cuisines. The dish is ...

* 2.

Asun The Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN) is a collegiate athletic conference operating mostly in the Southeastern United States. The league participates at the NCAA Division I level, and began sponsoring football at the Division I FCS level in 2022. O ...

* 3. Ofada * 4. Abula * 5. Asaro * 6.

Ekuru Ekuru is a Nigerian cuisine native to the Yoruba people in South-Western Nigeria. It is often prepared with black eyed peas or beans. It is similar to moin-moin another Nigerian delicacy made from black-eyed peas or cowpeas occasionally. The ...

/ Ofuloju * 7. Ekusu/Sapala * 8. Efo riro * 9. Boli * 10. Gizdodo * 11. Ikokore/Ifokore * 12. Adalu * 13. Moimoi/ Olele * 14. Iresi Eyin * 15. Iresi ati obe ata dindin * 16.

Ayamase Ayamase, also spelled Ayamashe, is a special type of sauce or stew native to the Yoruba people in West Africa. It is eaten with Ofada rice Ofada rice is a Yoruba people, Yoruba dish. It is the name of an Indigenous (ecology), indigenous rice fro ...

* 17. Ewagoyin * 18.

Ewedu ''Corchorus'' is a genus of about 40–100 species of flowering plants in the family Malvaceae, native to tropical and subtropical regions throughout the world. Different common names are used in different contexts, with jute applying to the fi ...

* 19. Shoko * 20. Okele ( Iyan,

Eba Ẹ̀bà ( Yoruba) also known as Ebe or Pinon' (in Togo, Benin, and southern Ghana) is a staple swallow from Nigeria, Togo and Benin, also eaten in the West African sub-region and other African countries. The term èbà originates from Yoruba. ...

, Lafun, Amala/Oka,

Fufu Fufu (or fufuo, foofoo, foufou ) is a pounded meal found in West African cuisine. It is a Twi word that originates from the Akans in Ghana. The word has been expanded to include several variations of the pounded meal found in other African c ...

, Pupuru etc.) * 21. Ila alasepo * 22. Dodoikire * 23 Egbo ati Ewa * 24. Gbure oloboro * 25.

Kokoro is a 1914 Japanese novel by Natsume Sōseki, and the final part of a trilogy starting with ''To the Spring Equinox and Beyond'' and followed by '' The Wayfarer'' (both 1912). Set in the Meiji era, the novel tells of the acquaintance between ...

* 26. Guguru ati epa * 27. Adun * 28. Mosa * 29.

Jollof Jollof (), or jollof rice, is a rice dish from West Africa. The dish is typically made with long-grain rice, tomatoes, chilis, onions, spices, and sometimes other vegetables and/or meat in a single pot, although its ingredients and preparatio ...

* 30.

Egusi Egusi, also spelled egushi ( Yoruba: Ẹ̀gúṣí), are the protein-rich seeds of certain cucurbitaceous plants ( squash, melon, gourd), which, after being dried and ground, are used as a major ingredient in West African cuisine. Egusi is ...

* 31. Ipekere * 32. Dun Dun Oniyeri * 33. Wara * 34. Efo Tete * 35. Sisi pelebe * 36. Fried rice(Iresi dindin) * 37. Baba dudu * 38. Obe iru * 39.

Dodo The dodo (''Raphus cucullatus'') is an extinction, extinct flightless bird that was endemism, endemic to the island of Mauritius, which is east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. The dodo's closest relative was the also-extinct and flightles ...

* 40. Eko * 41. Ogi * 42. Apon * 43. Egusi ijebu * 44. Gurundi * 45. Agege bread * 46. Iresi agbon * 47. Gure * 48. Obe eja dindin * 49. Marugbo ati pupuru * 50. Ebiropo * 51. Isu ati eyin * 52. Dundun * 53. Buka stew * 54. Jollof spag * 55. Agbado sisun * 56. Igbin dindin * 57. Zobo * 58. Ogi baba * 59. Gbegiri * 60. Robo * 61. Emu * 62. Ila ati obe dindin * 63. garri * 64. Ogbolo/oro * 65. Isu ati obe dindin * 66. Egg sauce * 67. puff puff * 68. Chapman * 69. buns * 70. Agbado ati agbon * 71. Eyin Awo * 72. Moinmoin elepo * 73. Akara elepo * 74. Isun sisun * 75. Akara Egusi * 76. Oka baba * 77. Tinko * 78. Esunsun * 79. Eekana gowon * 80. Ewedu Elegusi * 81. Ewa Pakure * 82. Efo Elegusi * 83. Balewa * 84. Bugan * 85. Alapa / Jogi * 86. Ishapa * 87. Kundi * 88. Ojojo * 89. Beske / Awara * 90. Abari * 91. Pafun * 92. Ila ati Obe ata * 93. Puff Puff * 94. Igbin Pelu Obe ata * 95. Anama/Odukun * 96. Ofada sauce * 97. Obe adiye * 98. Ilasa * 99. Akara Kengbe * 98. Akara Koko * 99. Esuru * 100. Eko Ada * 101. Jaloke/jaaloke * 102. Lapata / ipakere * 103. Obe ila funfun * 104. Abula * 105. Luru * 106. Orunla * 107. Imoyo * 108. Efo ( Soko, gbagba, Ebolo, Yanrin, Odu, Worowo, Tete, Gure, Ajefawo, Iyanaipaja) * 109. Moi Moi Elemi Meji * 110. Yoyo * 111. Obe Eyin

Introduced dishes

Food with Foreign roots now also made with distinct Yoruba style in Yorubaland. This is different from foreign food found in Yoruba regions made as it is as it would in its native homelands. Yoruba style: * Small chops ( Yoruba style Samosa and Spring rolls) * Meat pie/ Mince pie *

Egg roll The egg roll is a variety of deep-fried appetizer served in American Chinese restaurants. It is a cylindrical, savory roll with shredded cabbage, chopped meat, or other fillings inside a thickly wrapped wheat flour skin, which is fried in ...

Samosa A samosa () () (Hindi: समोसा) ( Persian: سمبوسه) is a fried South Asian and West Asian snack. It is a pastry with a savory filling that mostly consists of vegetables like spiced potatoes, onions, and peas, but can also include ...

Doughnut A doughnut or donut () is a type of pastry made from leavened fried dough. It is popular in many countries and is prepared in various forms as a sweet snack that can be homemade or purchased in bakeries, supermarkets, food stalls, and fran ...

s * Sausage rolls * Fish roll * Fish pie *

Spring roll Spring rolls are rolled appetizers or dim sum commonly found in Chinese, Vietnamese and Southeast Asian cuisines. The kind of wrapper, fillings, and cooking technique used, as well as the name, vary considerably depending on the region's cu ...

* Chicken pie *

Shawarma Shawarma (; ) is a Middle Eastern dish that originated in the Levant during the Ottoman Empire, consisting of meat that is cut into thin slices, stacked in an inverted cone, and roasted on a slow-turning vertical spit. Traditionally made with l ...

Scotch egg A Scotch egg is a boiled egg wrapped in sausage meat, coated in breadcrumbs and baked or deep-fried. Origin Various origin stories exist. The '' Oxford Companion to Food'' gives the first instance of the name as of 1809, in an edition of Ma ...

* Different Pastries and cakes * Salads + Coleslaws * Stir fried noodles * Stir fried spaghetti

Breakfast

Yoruba breakfast consists of a myriad of choice. Some food are more common for breakfast, Lunch and Dinner but it is also flexible to eat those meals at other times of the day as well if preferred. Typically breakfast can be different types of rice dishes, or Soups (obe) with "swallow" (Okele).Foods like Akara and Moi Moi can also be had. Some common Yoruba breakfasts include: * Akara and Bugan (bread) with tea: Akara is a fried bean cake, it can be eaten alongsides bread with tea sometimes included in the meal * Ogi with Moi Moi : Ogi is a custard like dish, Moi Moi is a steamed bean pudding that. * Ofada : A rice dish made with native spotted rice eaten with either Ayamase sauce or Ofada sauce with meat or fish and/or Egg. Dodo (Fried plantains) can be added. * Iresi ati Obe ata: Rice and a type of Tomato-Pepper spiced Stew eaten alongside meat (beef, goat meat, chicken, turkey), Egg or Fish. * Ila-alasepo ati Eba : An okro soup dish with Eba (a cassava garri based Okele) * Isu ati Eyin din din: Yam and Egg Sauce.

Lunch

Lunch has a diverse range of dishes just like Breakfast. Here are some examples. Some popular Lunch menu include: * Obe Egusi and Iyan : Egusi soup and pounded yam with assorted meat (Eran) or fish. * Ewagoyin and agege bread : A spiced mashed beans with agoyin sauce with agege bread * Jollof : Jollof rice with meat, fish, egg and salad or coleslaw with moi moi and dodo (Fried plantains). * Fried rice : A local style fried rice with the same side options as the above * Asaro : Yam porridge

Dinner

Like the above previous Meals of the day, dinner is filled with variety of choices. Some examples of popular dinner meals include: * Abula (Ewedu, Gbegiri, obe ata and Amala with meat and or fish): A mixed soup dish with different sauces and Amala * Efo riro with Iyan, Eba or Fufu : A spiced vegetable soup with proteins and Okele of choice * Obe Apon and Fufu: A nutty draw soup with Fufu (or any okele of choice) * Iresi Eyin : A spiced

palm oil Palm oil is an edible vegetable oil derived from the mesocarp (reddish pulp) of the fruit of oil palms. The oil is used in food manufacturing, in beauty products, and as biofuel. Palm oil accounted for about 36% of global oils produced from o ...

rice

Snacks

Some Yoruba snacks and side dishes include: * Kokoro: A fried crunchy snack made from corn meal * Dodo ikire : A "candied" oiled and spiced mashed dodo snack * Asun : A spiced Yoruba grilled/Smoked meat * Gurundi : Baked Coconut snack * Shukshuk : coconut candy * Sisi Pelebe : Candied pounded groundnut candy * Coconut candy, pan fried * Coconut flakes * Coconut Clusters : Sugary Coconut candy * Ipekere : Plantain Chips * Beske : Fried Soymilk curds * Awara : milk curds * Chin Chin flakes / Chin chin regular / Chin Chin 'macaroni' - fried or baked snack made with flour, sugar, egg, flavoring and so on * Candied peanuts, pan cooked * Balewa : a hard candy sweet * Eekana Gowon : A candy * Aadun * Dundn: Fried yams * Dundun oniyeri/ Yamarita : An egg batter coated deep fried yam * Meat Pies * Rolls * "Small chops" platter

Okele

Okele are starchy balls eaten in Yorubaland. They are what is referred to as "swallows", though swallow isn't a translation of Okele. They don't have to be swallowed however or chewed as it is a preference. Okele include: Fufu, Eba, Amala, Iyan, Lafun, Semo, amongst others.

Soups

Soups are a staple of Yoruba culture. Some of these Soups are what will be considered stews in the English language due to texture but are categorised as Soups due to it being eaten with okele. Soups are eaten with okele. Soups are called Obe. Some Soups Include Egusi, Eforiro,Efo (the varieties), Ewedu, Gbegiri, Marugbo, Apon, Ila, Ila- alasepo, Ilasa.

Stews/Sauces

Yoruba Cuisine have a rich variety of stews. The stews are mainly eaten with rice dishes. They can also be eaten with yam,potatoes,bread or beans dishes. These stews are usually made with a tomato-pepper variants and onion base with spices including garlic, ginger, bayleaf, iru and so on, in a unique frying technique in groundnut oil/peanut oil (òróró) or Palm oil (Epo /Epo pupa). Stew in Yoruba is generally called Obe-ata, but its also specifically a kind of common white rice stew. Some Stews include: Ọbẹ̀ ata, Ọbẹ̀ ata díndín, Buka stew, Ọ̀fadà sauce, Ayamaṣe, Àgànyìn sauce, Ọbẹ̀ irú, Ọbẹ̀ Adìyẹ, Ọbẹ̀ Ẹja tútù, Ọbẹ̀ Ìmóyò.

Drinks

Popular drinks in Yorubaland are Zobo (an hibiscus drink), Kunu, Ògùrọ̀ and Ẹmu (Palm wine). Tea, Coffee and Malt drinks are also enjoyed.

References

{{Reflist Yoruba cuisine West African cuisine